A26932:729
Gildas Salvianus: The Reformed Pastor
Gildas Salvianus, the reformed pastor showing the nature of the pastoral work, especially in private instruction and catechizing : with an open confession of our too open sins : prepared for a day of humiliation kept at Worcester, Decemb. 4, 1655 by the ministers of that county, who subscribed the agreement for catechizing and personal instruction at their entrance upon that work / by their unworthy fellow-servant, Richard Baxter ...Gildas Salvianus, the reformed pastor shewing the nature of the pastoral work, especially in private instruction and catechizing : with an open confession of our too open sins : prepared for a day of humiliation kept at Worcester, Decemb. 4, 1655 by the ministers of that county, who subscribed the agreement for catechizing and personal instruction at their entrance upon that work / by their unworthy fellow-servant, Richard Baxter ...
London: printed by Robert White for Nevil Simmons, 1656
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
But as for those men that limit not their Recreations to their stated hours, but must have them for the pleasing of their voluptuous humour, and not only to fit them for their work, such sensualists have need to study better the nature of Christianity, and learn the danger of living after the flesh, and get more mortification and self-denial before they preach these things to others. If you must needs have your pleasures, you should not have put your selves into that calling that requireth you to make God and his service your pleasure, and restraineth you so much from fleshly pleasures. Is it your baptismal engagement to fight against the flesh? and do you know that much of the Christian warfare consisteth in the combat between the flesh and the spirit? and that is the very ⟨p. 393⟩difference between a true Christian and a wicked wretch, that one liveth after the spirit, and mortifieth the deeds and desires of the body, and the other liveth after the flesh? and do you know that the overcoming the flesh is the principal part of our victory, on which the Crown of life depends; and do you make it your calling to preach all this to others; and yet for all this must you needs have your pleasures? If you must, then for shame give over the preaching of the Gospel, and the profession of Christian self-denial, and profess your selves to be as you are, and as you sow to the flesh, so of the flesh shall you receive the wages of corruption. Doth such a one as Paul say? I therefore so run, not as uncertainly: so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection, least that by any means, when I have preached to others, I my self should be a cast-away, 1 Cor. 4. 26, 27. And have not such sinners as we, need to do so? Shall we pamper our bodies, and give them their desires in unnecessary pleasures, when Paul must keep under his body, and bring it into subjection? Must Paul do this, least after all his preaching he should be a cast-away? and have not we cause to fear it of our selves much more? I know that some pleasure it self is lawful: that is, when it is of use to the fitting us for our work.
But as for those men that limit not their Recreations to their stated hours, but must have them for the pleasing of their voluptuous humor, and not only to fit them for their work, such sensualists have need to study better the nature of Christianity, and learn the danger of living after the flesh, and get more mortification and self-denyal before they preach these things to others. If you must needs have your pleasures, you should not have put your selves into that calling that requireth you to make God and his service your pleasure, and restraineth you so much from fleshly pleasures. Is it your baptismal engagement to fight against the flesh? and do you know that much of the Christian warfare consisteth in the combate between the flesh and the spirit? and that is the very